Single-Wire Bus Power Switching for High-Current Slave Operations
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Solution Overview
Problem
In single-wire interface systems, the power made available to slave devices is often insufficient to support high-current operations due to the increasing trend of using lower voltages, leading to inadequate power supply for operations like non-volatile memory writes or authentication processes.
Innovation Solution
A controller is implemented to control the electrical behavior of a charging path, providing current at the single-wire interface during high-current operations by using field-effect transistors to manage the connection between the supply and the interface, ensuring sufficient power is available for slave devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If lower voltages are used in single-wire interface systems, then power consumption is reduced and integration is improved, but power availability to slave devices becomes insufficient for high-current operations
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between two power supply modes: a first power supply mode using a pull-up resistor for normal operations, and a second power supply mode using a field-effect transistor for high-current operations. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to provide sufficient power when needed while maintaining low power consumption during normal operation, resolving the contradiction between power savings and power availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the electrical parameters of the power supply path by switching between a high-impedance pull-up resistor and a low-impedance field-effect transistor. This parameter change enables the system to adapt the power delivery capability to match the operational requirements, providing high power when needed for memory writes or authentication while consuming minimal power during normal communication.
2Device complexity
If a pull-up resistor is used for power supply, then circuit simplicity is maintained, but voltage drops increase and operating margin decreases during high-current operations
Solution Approach 1:
The power supply function is segmented into two distinct paths: a first path using a pull-up resistor for normal operations, and a second path using a field-effect transistor for high-current operations. This segmentation allows each path to be optimized for its specific function, maintaining circuit simplicity for normal operation while providing a dedicated high-power path when needed, thus improving reliability without significantly increasing overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The field-effect transistor acts as an intermediary component that bridges the gap between the simple pull-up resistor circuit and the high-power requirements. By introducing this intermediate element, the system can maintain the simplicity of the pull-up resistor architecture while adding the capability to provide sufficient current during high-power operations, improving operating margin without completely redesigning the power supply architecture.
3Productivity
If current is provided during high-current operations, then slave devices can execute operations effectively, but additional control circuitry is required
Solution Approach 1:
The control functionality for the field-effect transistor is merged with the existing single-wire interface controller. The same controller that manages data communication also controls the power supply switching, eliminating the need for separate control circuitry. This merging allows the system to provide enhanced power capability while minimizing additional hardware complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The single-wire interface controller is designed with multi-functionality, handling both data communication and power supply control. This universal controller manages both the pull-up resistor and field-effect transistor, as well as coordinating data transfer and power delivery. By making the controller universal, the system avoids adding dedicated control circuitry while still providing the necessary current for high-current operations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution ensures that slave devices can execute high-current operations effectively by dynamically managing the power supply, reducing voltage drops and maintaining a higher operating margin in single-wire interface systems.
Implementation Method 1
A controller is implemented to control the electrical behavior of a charging path, providing current at the single-wire interface during high-current operations by using field-effect transistors to manage the connection between the supply and the interface
Data Source
AI summary
According to various aspects, a controller may be configured to: control a transmission over a single-wire interface of an instruction corresponding to a high-current operation; and control an electrical behavior of a charging path to provide current at the single-wire interface during a time period corresponding to an execution of the instructed high-current operation.